Desert Strings
by Anauma
Summary: Sasori wakes up to find himself barely alive in a stranger's home. With the twist and turns of fate, he ends up adopting a new subordinate who also uses puppets. How will things go from here? Lemon and lime is a vague possibilty in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto... I can settle for other characters though. 

Author's note: ELABORATE criticisms and suggestions or just plain reviews are very much encouraged. (By elaborate I mean don't give me stuff like. The girl is so Mary Sue, you suck. Tell me in what way. Its all for the improvement of your source of your 'insert number of minutes you took to read here' entertainment.) Enjoy!

Thoughts: '...'

Speech: "..."

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**Desert Strings**

'Where is this? Is this heaven or hell? I just died didn't I? My hands, they won't move. My body... Is this what death feels like? Then why is there pounding in my chest? Damn it don't tell me the seal has left me stuck in my body. Its so dark. Wait... is that light?'

Sasori felt his heart pound in the cylinder, it felt so unnatural.

"Are you awake Puppet San?"

An unfamiliar voice called. His eyes clicked into empty broken sockets.

"Let him rest Yuko, he almost died. Come help me set the table, we have to get it ready by the time your sister and father get home."

"Yes Okaasan!"

A cheery raven haired little girl left the room and ran to her mother.

"Do you eat, Puppet San?"

She popped her head back in. He moved his head slightly.

"Then maybe you can take some of my foo..."

"You will not eat any less than one bowl of rice my dear young lady."

A man's voice came from outside, Sasori could not see who it was.

"Oneesan, Otosan!"

"Kagari Chan! How was your mission?"

"It was alright Okaasan, who is our guest?"

She asked as she walked into the room which appeared to be hers.

"This is Puppet San! Okaasan found him on her way back from her walk to the village."

The older girl stepped into view, she looked no older than 13. She had dark raven hair that reached her thighs and fair skin with deep green eyes. His eyes darted to the Suna headband around her neck. So he was back in the sand village, the one place it seemed he could never run away from. As he watched the family joke around him, Sakura's words came to him.

'Doesn't the word life mean anything to you?'

Those seemingly pointless words came back to haunt him, here he was being taunted by the thing he never had. A life, a family. Why were these things coming to him now? Had he gone soft?

The famiy ate their dinner. After that, the one they called Kagari sat beside his bed.

"Puppet San, do you need food?"

He moved his head again. Even as a puppet he needed some form of energy to sustain his heart. She got a bowl and laid it beside him, he stared at her blankly.

"Oh, you can't move can you? Its ok, I'll feed you then."

She took up the spoon and wiped the excess gruel at the side of the bowl, hovering the spoon over his mouth. He opened his mouth reluctantly, never in his entire life had he felt so degraded. She fed him carefully, making sure all the food landed in his mouth. After he had emptied the bowl, she removed what was left of his shirt carefully. With a hammer and a screwdriver, she carefully mended his broken joints. He watched her work quietly.

"Puppet San, your arms are completely broken. I'm going to replace them."

With that, she left and came back with another puppet. It was the puppet of his mother. She removed its old wooden arms and attached it to him, soon he was able to move them. It was a little hard, he was too used to having his old hands which did not have visible joints. His fingers twitched, his jaw could move more freely.

"Don't make sudden movements yet, your joints are really fragile now. I can't find replacements for your legs, these puppet ones are way to thin to support your body. Just give me a little time and I will try to fix your current limbs. Bear with this for now."

How did this little girl know so much? Was she a puppeteer as well?

"By the way, you haven't told me your name Puppet San."

"I..ts po...int...less..."

"If you say so, then I will just call you Puppet San! Whats this little can?"

She poked his heart cylinder. The name on the cylinder apparently meant nothing to her or her family. He wondered why, his name was infamous in the sand village.

"Don,,,'t to...uch it... Whe..re is th...i...s...?"

"We haven't introduced ourselves have we? This is the Seishuku clan. My Otosan, Kira is the head of the clan. My Okaasan is Natsu and this is Yuko. I'm Kagari. Our shinobis are registered as ninjas of the Suna but we were seperated from them years ago."

"Why are you a puppet Puppet San? Who made you?"

The little girl asked cheerfully. Sasori lay silent.

"Yuko thinks you're really handsome."

Kagari smiled at Yuko.

"Yuko thats enough, let him rest."

Yuko ran off.

"I'm sleeping outside tonight but you can pull this string if you need me. For now I'll be out training, my Okaasan will attend to you."

She slipped a ring attached to some ninja wires on his finger before grabbing a scroll and leaving. After awhile, he could fully move his arms. Kagari had detached his legs, he was an invalid. For the first time, he noticed a puppet in the room. A battle puppet.

'So she was a puppeteer.'

Bored, he attached a chakra string to the nearest puppet. It had been too long since he had controlled a puppet aside from battle.

The puppet came to life at his hands, jumping off the shelf and moving around the same way he used to play with them as a child. He noticed Yuko at the door and the strings broke, the puppets collapsed.

"Don't stop Puppet San, you can make it move like Oneesan."

He looked at her but she just smiled happily.

"Can you teach me? I'm in the academy but they only teach the easy stuff. Yuko wants to be really strong like Oneesan."

Sasori merely looked at here, these kids obviously do not know the true meaning of strength. He doubted Kagari had killed anyone yet. He tried to ignore the little girls' babbling, it reminded him of Deidara. His former pesky partner whos constant mindless jabbering never ceased to be of an annoyance to him.

To make her shut up, he got the puppet to get up and walk. The joints creaked with agony, this puppet had obviously not been used for a rather long time. It was an old fashioned puppet, a female with a katana in a sheath. The basic weapon slots and kunai launchers were there, nothing great and everything was empty. Any poison that might have ever been in the puppet was dried and useless, the smell of Karatake and Matsumo herb surrounded the puppet. A herb that poison users had stopped using in their poisons centuries ago. The poison was weak and slow to take effect. It was also easy to neutralise. Puppeteers also stopped using Karatake (Timber Bamboo) long ago, the modern puppets were made from Aodake (Green Bamboo) which was lighter and stronger.

He closed his eyes, as long as the puppet moved the girl would keep quiet. He suddenly felt the puppet freeze, his eyes shot open. Another group of chakra strings were connected to its limbs.

"Thank you for entertaining my sister for me Puppet San, I really appreciate it. This puppet is Yumi. It was a heirloom given to me by my great grandfather when I was a baby so if you don't mind, please don't use it."

Sasori looked up, Kagari was at the door. She smiled at him. He released his strings, allowing her to return the puppet to the place on the shelf. He watched her long slender fingers move like the fingers of a pianist, a smile played on her lips. She really loved them, he could see it in her eyes.

"You seem really skilled Puppet San, will you spar with me when you get better? You could borrow one of my puppets."

He watched as she stared at him eagerly. He figured it would not hurt, maybe he would not even be here by the time he got better. No he was not planning to stay in bed for long. He moved his head.

"Wonderful! I'm starting to like you Puppet San"

She cheered and left, bringing her sister with her. Starting to like? Him? Sasori almost laughed, she would take it all back if she knew anything about him. How he managed to survive was a mistery though, he was so sure it was the end. Somehow his heart had been restored. It would be only a matter of time before the Suna was alerted, he was too close to the village. He had to escape soon.

End


	2. Chapter 2

**_Desert Strings_**

Author's Note: I just realised I forgot to describe what she was wearing. Since I'm a self proclaimed lazy ass, I shall just tell you here so if you don't read notes then too bad. Kagari wears a purplish blue sleeveless short dress with shorts and netting on her arms. She usually covers up with a long black hooded coat. Nothing extravagant since shes still a kid. R&R C&E (Read and review, critique and enjoy.)

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It had been about a week since Sasori had been living in with the family. The only reason he was staying was to blend in until he had healed up completely, his heart was still weak. They were hospitable and hardly bothered him except the little girl Yuko who seemed fascinated and seemed to think he was the red haired version of Pinnochio. 

Kagari was at the foot of his bed, watching as he fixed up his legs and hands with materials she had brought him. Occasionally she would ask him about a part, where the bolt went, what kind of joint he used. He gave her short, curt answers which she never seemed to mind as long as she understood. She was keen to learn and often pestered him about the puppets he used to use and poisons.

"Once I fix my legs I'm going to run far away from you and all your questions brat."

He mumbled, Kagari laughed.

"You have to spar with me first before I let you leave."

She said with a smirk. He continued his work without another word.

"What? You don't have faith in my abilities?"

"Frankly, no."

"You're so mean."

She sulked, then perked up and jumped on his bed. If his legs were not in his hands, she would have been stepping on them. She stood in front of him with her fist in the air.

"I'll prove myself to you!"

She exclaimed. Sasori sat there dumbstruck, the room was silent.

"What a strange brat you are, don't do pointless things."

He said finally as he continued with his work. She just smiled and got off the bed.

"I'm not a brat, I'm about the same age as you."

"No you're not."

"How old are you?"

"28."

She almost fainted from shock.

"N...n...ne, you're kidding right?"

His neck creaked as he shook his head.

"But you look so young. Like my age; and I'm only twelve!"

"I'm a puppet, looks don't matter."

"I guess."

"Kagari Chan, you have guests."

Natsu's voice came from outside.

"Hai!"

He pulled on a loose robe nearby and hid his legs. She ran, the thin walls brought the conversation in nice and clear.

"Shinji San, what brings you here?"

"Nothing important."

A man with short silvery hair walked into the room with Kagari.

"Puppet San, this is Shinji San. My uncle"

Sasori stared at him long and hard. For a brief moment he saw fear in the man's eyes. This was not good, the Suna must have recieved information about his true form. If so and this person had access to that information, he had to be from the ANBU.

"Pleased to meet you."

The man said.

"Shinji San won't you stay for a night?"

"I would love to my dear but I have to get back to the village, I dropped by here for a visit on my way back from a mission. I had to pass your mother the herbs she wanted from the Mizuage anyway."

"So you'll be leaving?"

"Yes."

When he left, Sasori resumed fixing his legs and arms. Totally lost in thought as he inserted the parts. When he was done, he found Kagari had fallen asleep by his bed. This girl was one of a kind. He was even starting to feel sorry for leaving, he was curious to see how this young puppeteer would progress.

Wrapping his blanket around her, he gave her a small pat on the head and got up. There was no way he could stay here another night. His wooden legs creaked softly as he lept out the window.

"Jaana."

The puppet master mumbled softly as he took off into the forest.

-----------------------

Kagari woke up with a stiff back, she had fallen asleep. She noticed the bed was empty and a blanket was on her shoulders, so Puppet San can walk already. She washed up and left to look for him, he was nowhere to be found. Natsu came up to her and handed her a thick scroll.

"This is our clan secret technique, keep it and learn it only when you turn sixteen."

"Kaasan, why are you giving this to me now?"

"Take it and keep it, don't ask me so many questions."

Yuko ran up and Natsu left.

"Where is Puppet San?"

Yuko asked her. She shrugged her small shoulders.

"Maybe he had to go home, he can't stay here forever you know."

"But he never said goodbye to Yuko."

Yuko pouted.

"Maybe he was in a hurry, I'm sure we will see him someday."

There was a knock on the door, Kagari answered it. Suna ANBU were there.

"Where is the Akatsuki member?"

They demanded.

"What Akatsuki member? Is something wrong?"

"We have recieved reports that this house is harboring an Akatsuki member. Hand him over and no one will get hurt."

Kagari had heard of the Akatsuki organization before, could Puppet San be part of them? But he did not have the trademark ring, he could not be. Natsu would not have brought him home then.

"Yuko, go in and look for Kaasan. Sirs we do not harbor any Akatsuki members as you speak of."

Kagari answered politely.

"This clan is an ally of the Suna, however we are not subjected to the laws of the Kazekage. You have no basis to come here and threaten us like this. Please leave."

Kira's voice came from behind. He appeared at the door and towered over the ANBU. It was well known that the members of the Seishuku clan never liked the rules of the Sunagakure to be brought into their village and would rather fight than be subjected to them. They had been seperated even before the great ninja wars began and had fought hard during the wars for independence. The agreement between the head and the Kazekage of that time was to remain allies. However, the current council members had been starting to breach that agreement.

"My orders were to bring the Akatsuki member back regardless, even if we have to kick your sorry asses. Orders from the council. This clan has been traitors even before the ninja wars anyway. If the first had not pitied all of you, you bastards wouldn't even be here."

The ANBU leader mocked haughtily. Some of his subordinates tried to calm him down but he brushed them off.

"Bunch of weaklings."

He chided. Kagari saw red.

"If its a fight you want then say it bastard!"

She yelled, grabbing a scroll from her back. Kira restrained her.

"A little whimp like you wouldn't stand against me for one minute. Make this simple and hand him over before we get nasty."

"We do not have him, leave now."

The ANBU head shot an arm out, catching Kira unawares. Unprepared, he flew backwards and crashed into the dining table.

"Kira!"

Natsu rushed to her dazed husband. Kagari grabbed the end of her scroll and flung it open.

"Hensei, Datenshi!"

She yelled after doing her hand seals. Two puppets appeared, one across her back and one beside her. The unsealed scroll fell to the ground. Datenshi was the puppet across her back. With shoulder length dark red hair the same colour as its eyes, its slender body was shielded by a red cloak. Hensei had a rounded beige body double the size of Datenshi. It looked like a huge cacoon. Kagari was visibly livid.

The ANBU sent 2 members back to get backup. Kagari got into her fighting stance, fingers slightly curled with one hand beside her face and one hand outstreched. Her puppets got into fighting stance instantly.

"Kagari!"

Natsu shouted as bright green chakra illuminated her hand, healing the gash on Kira's face. A hidden blade now dripped with blood on the ANBU leader's wrist. The ANBU leader gave a signal and his two other members ran to engage Kira and Natsu in battle.

"Little girl, you can't go up against me. As a warning to your clan I shall kill your family and return all of you to the Suna."

The puppeteer frowned at him. Without warning he threw kunai, Hensei blocked it while Datenshi charged ahead. Its mouth opened and Senbon flew towards the ANBU leader. He dodged it easily, doing hand seals. He appeared behind her.

"Its over. Chakra Atsu, Chitabi Aenaisaigo no jutsu. (Chakra Pressure, A thousand deaths technique.)"

He smirked and his blade burst into a thousand little pieces which flew for her body in all directions.

"Kagari!"

Her mother yelled. When the dust settled, a steel mummy stood in the place of Kagari. Both Hensei and Datenshi had steel strips running from the mummy to their sides. The broken blades lay on the floor.

"Guujin Bougyo, Kouhan no tate. (Puppet protection, steel sheet shield.)"

She whispered to herself. The ANBU leader gritted his teeth and raised the hilt of his blade to the side. The little pieces flew and reattached themselves to the hilt. A thinner sheet with a pointed ring attached to the end flew towards him from Datenshi, he dodged just in time. The puppet flailed it like a whip, the strip started vibrating. He saw tiny teeth spinning around the blade like a saw. The ANBU leader knew one scratch would be fatal. Puppeteers always used poison. The best chance he had was to hit the puppeteer. He spotted a slit in the bandages, a small slit that revealed her eyes.He deflected the saw with blade and looked like he was going to attack Datenshi. Then, he disappeared.

"Its over."

He appeared behind her and stuck his blade into the slit.

"I have found your weak spot. For you to use your puppets so effeciently, you would need to see them. Now you will never be able to use them again."

The bandages loosened up as she fell forward. The Anbu leader jumped back in alarm, blood streamed from his side. A puppet stood in Kagari's place with curved blades attached to its potruding arm. It had long raven hair and deep green eyes with a mark where the ANBU leader stabbed it. The puppet was obviously made to look like its master. Two extensions from its upper and two from its lower back held a royal blue cloak around it.

"Burossamu Ruritateha. (Blossom Ruritateha.)"

She whispered.

"You're pretty good kid."

He grinned. His backup came, another 8 ninjas. He signalled for them to fight her parents. Pulling out a chain like object with a heavy weight at the end.

"But not good enough!"

He swung one end towards Datenshi, wrapping its blades together. The other end was swung at the other puppet as well, wrapping the whole puppet. The ANBU leader then pulled a chain attached to the middle of the chain that was attached to her puppets out of his cloak. With a swing, he made it spin like a propeller over his head.

"Now you're open."

He smirked. Natsu let out a scream as she fell, defeated.

"Okaasan!"

She screamed. Kira, now faced with 5 shinobis was overwhelmed. He too fell with a scream, the Suna shinobis stood over his gasping body and gave him a kick.

"Otosaan!"

"You don't have time to worry about him!"

The ANBU leader laughed as he flung the weight towards the cacoon. The end fanned out into 5 blades. He did hand seals.

"Chakra Atsu, Datto Dansai! (Chakra Pressure, Speed cutting!)"

The blades elongated and sped faster.

'Shimata!'

Kagari thought to herself, bracing herself for her death. She felt a shallow slice straight across her shoulders and collar bone and nothing more, her eyes shot open. The chain was stuck to the wall adjacent from her, Yumi's katana was stuck with the chain to the wall. The top front part of her cacoon dropped off, she turned her head to see Puppet San sitting on the window sill. His body was clad in black pants and a loose black robe that rested on the edges of his shoulders.

"Puppet San."

She said under her breath. He looked at them, his face emotionless as usual.

"Who are you."

The ANBU leader asked, then his eyes widened as he read the word on his heart cylinder when the wind blew his robe.

"Akasuna no...Sasori!"

He stammered.

"Brat, I'm borrowing you're puppets."

Kagari released her chakra strings. Blue strings from his fingers attached themselves to her puppets.

"Its been too long since I've used regular puppets."

The ANBU leader motioned for his subordinates to help him the remaining 5 of them went to his side. They charged towards him. The puppets moved at the speed of lightning. Using the chain connecting them, they wrapped 3 ANBU. The 6 arms of Ruritateha produced its blades and the 3 members met their demise. Datenshi detached itself from the chains and flailed its saw. In a small area, there was not enough room to dodge. The saw seemed to be guided, another ANBU fell. The other ANBU member got close to Sasori and was about to stab him, a catch in his abdomen flipped open and a long tube with a pointed end rammed through the ANBU's heart.

The ANBU leader, now alone was visibly terrified. He did hand seals.

"Chakra Atsu, Jishinha. (Chakra pressure, Seismic wave.)"

He leapt up and plunged his sword into the ground, Kagari felt the air get thicker. She could not breathe. Her eyes turned towards Sasori, the technique hardly seemed to affect him. The puppets launched an array of kunai and senbon, the ANBU leader dodged them. A whirring sound was heard and the ANBU barely dodged the saw behind him, escaping with a gash on the shoulder. Just then Yuko walked in.

"Okaasan! Otosan!"

She cried, rushing to them. The ANBU took advantage of this to head for the girl.

"YUKO CHAN!"

Kagari rushed to her. She felt a sharp pain in her side as the ANBU leader plunged his blade into her. Blood spilled from her mouth. Yuko looked at her in horror as the blood fell onto her face.

"Gomene Yuko Chan. Aah."

She screamed as the ANBU leader pulled the blade sharply out of her. Sasori took this chance to stab him in the heart with the long tube in his abdomen. Yuko was bent over Kagari, crying her eyes out. Sasori just watched them. Suddenly, Natsu moved slightly.

"P..Pupp...et S..an..."

She called weakly.

"C...co..uld... yo..u... br...ing... he..r to me..?"

Sasori carried Kagari to her. Natsu weakly did a few hand seals before placing her hands on Kagari's wound. Green chakra illuminated her hands as the would healed slowly. The scene reminded him of when Chiyo Baasan healed Sakura during her dying moments. Why did everyone else care for others more than themselves? Would his mother do the same for him had she been alive? A few minutes passed and Kagari sat up slowly.

"Okaasan! Ugh."

She cried, grabbing her side.

"I.. I... will... be... jo...i...ning your.. O..to...san s..oo..n..."

She smiled weakly.

"Ta..ke.. ca...re.. of... the..m fo...r... me... Pupp...et.. Sa..n..."

She gasped painfully, looking him straight in the eye.

"Jaa...na mataa..uhima...de..."

With that, she took her last breath and was still. Sasori debated on whether to take Kagari with him. There was no way he was going to take Yuko but Kagari was promising as a subordinate.

"Come, we leave now. Take what you need."

He said softly. Kagari sealed her puppets.

"Can we bury them?"

She asked, sobbing.

"We don't have time, soon the ANBU will be investigating the disappearance of their ninjas. Leave your sister here, she'll have more chance of survival. No one will accuse her of being part of any of this killing."

He thought for awhile.

"Take them along."

"Why?"

"Just do it brat."

Kagari wiped the blood off Yuko's face and made her change her clothes. She took whatever provisions she might need.

"No matter what, don't cry. Be strong for me Yuko."

She handed Yuko a small toy puppet, the first she ever played with.

"Knock on the door of Arisa Obaasan and tell her what happened, tell her that I will be away and you're identity must be kept secret. Fight for the independence of the village. I will come back one day, stay alive for me Yuko."

She hugged Yuko and tears rolled down their eyes.

"Jaana, mataauhimade"

Yuko ran up to the door of Arisa Obaasan, Kagari watched as she entered.

"Lets go."

Kagari carried the bodies of her parents and followed him.

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End 


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